In order to continuously improve customer service, Visual Media Services
released a new web site design yesterday at noon. This is the third design
in their 10-year web history.

The new site has what VMS hopes will be vastly improved navigation for its users.
“The old site had really outgrown its 1998 design, and we needed to have
something that could reflect our expanded services,” says Fred Ullrich,
manager of the department. “We have been working on getting this site online
in the background while we maintained our current web services and also migrated
to new servers.”

The site is integrated with several other servers for database searches of
photos and videos as well as streaming video services. It currently serves
more than 1,000 unique visitors per day from around the world.

In order to prevent broken links for those who may have bookmarked the
former VMS Web site, the old pages will remain online in a non-updated
state. Each of the old pages has a banner that directs visitors to the new
site.

The new site has a significant change in look, and the new navigational
design allows visitors to know their location within the site with just a
glance. Most pages are no more than two clicks away from the VMS home page.
VMS plans to make additional changes to help further improve service to their
customer base.

Jim Shultz pushing the button to make the newly designed VMS Web site live. (Click on image for larger version.)

From the Institue of Physics, February 1, 2005New chief for IoP during Einstein Year
A leading educationalist has been appointed as the new chief executive of the Institute of Physics as the UK begins to celebrate Einstein Year – the biggest ever celebration of physics in the UK and Ireland.

Today the Institute announced that it has appointed Dr. Robert Kirby-Harris as its new chief executive, replacing Dr Julia King who left last year to become the Principal of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College, London.

Dr. Kirby-Harris, who will take up his new post from 4th April 2005, joins the Institute at the beginning of Einstein Year. Einstein Year is the centenary of Einstein’s three ground-breaking discoveries and a celebration of physics – communicating the vital role physics plays in developing new technologies such as hospital imaging, mobile phones and computers, and addressing big questions like how the Universe was created and works.
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Winter Safety Tips from the Fermilab Fire Department
With winter upon us, the Fermilab Fire Department would like to remind all employees
about a few safety tips at home and work that might decrease the chance of an
accident.

Slips, trips and falls can be greatly reduced by making sure walkways are shoveled
and salted as necessary. When exiting a vehicle, make sure that you have good
footing so that you don't unexpectedly slip. Uneven surfaces on parking areas,
walkways and snow covered landscaped plots are twisted ankles waiting to happen.
Black ice can be very dangerous to walk on. Once you have made it safely to your
vehicle, make sure that your windows and mirrors are clean. Invest in a good
combination brush/broom/scraper, and keep it readily available in the trunk
or passenger compartment. Nylon windshield covers are also available. They do
a great job keeping windshields clear and almost entirely eliminate the need for
any brushing or scraping.

The Fermilab Fire Department hopes that these tips will
make your winter a safe one. Spring can't be too far away, can it?

Farewell to Tony Ramos
Tony Ramos, who worked on numerous construction projects at Fermilab, retired
on December 29 after nearly 10 years at Fermilab. He first started working on
Main Injector construction in 1995 and then worked on Wilson Hall repairs.

Tony Ramos

Since 2000, he had helped with the installation of NuMI, including installation
at MI-65 and MINOS for the past nine months. Before working at Fermilab,
he had worked for consulting firms which built bridges, power plants and industrial
plants.

"Working at Fermilab is one of those chances you get where you work on a
project that's not very common," Ramos said. "It's been wonderful to work
for one of the largest high-energy physics laboratories in the world."

Ramos said that mostly he will miss the place and the knowledgable people,
but he will also enjoy the extra time in Chicago, where he lives with his wife,
Emma. "I'm planning on doing a little traveling and a lot of reading," he said.

Happy Groundhog's Day!
Will we have six more weeks of winter? Is spring around the corner?
Find out if Chicago's unoffical groundhog "Windy City Woodie" saw
his shadow
here.

Free Introductory Tai Chi Class
A free introductory Tai Chi class will be offered in the
Recreation Facility on Friday, February 18 from 6:30 AM to 7:15 AM.
Registration
for the free class can be made by calling the Recreation Office
at X5427 or X2548. You must pre-register. You do not need to be
a member of the Recreation Facility for this introductory class,
however, you will need to be one to participate in the scheduled 8-week session.
Deadline to register for this class is February 11.

International Folk Dancing
International Folk Dancing will be held at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 3, at the Geneva American Legion Post.
Info at 630-584-0825 or 630-840-8194 or folkdance@fnal.gov.